1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to alpine ski boots having a shell base capped by an upper, the upper being made of one or two portions, which are at least partially journalled for frontward-rearward movement with respect to the shell base. It relates in particular to boots of this type which are provided with a foot retention apparatus in the boot of the type exerting a tightening force on the front upper portion of the foot in an oblique direction going towards the heel.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Ski boots of the type described above are known and in particular are described in published French Patent Applications 2,345,097 and 2,553,634, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference thereto.
In French Patent 2,345,097, guidance means are taught which are provided on the boot to orient the direction of traction of the cable of the foot retention apparatus. As will appear clearly from the description which is given, these guidance means are affixed and/or oriented to remain on the portion of the boot on which they are situated for one and only one direction of traction of the cable. It appears that this unique positioning of the guidance means is not able to satisfy different foot shapes by virtue of the fact that it is the direction of traction of the cable which determines the pressure zones which are exerted on the foot. Yet, sensitive points of the foot such as the instep and the flexion fold are moreover locations which are very variable in position from one foot to the other depending upon whether the foot is of the "hollow", "normal", or "flat" type for example.
French Patent 2,553,634 correctly proposes a particular construction of a boot of the same type but provided with pressure distribution plates making it possible to adapt themselves to all of the foot morphologies of the skiers at the level of the flexion fold and in particular to suppress the point or linear contact regions. In this boot construction, if the tractional force of the cable is distributed over the plates which cover the corresponding zone of the flexion fold of the foot, it is the direction of traction of the cable which remains determinative for the resultant of the pressure forces exerted on the foot, which, as a result, is subjected to a dominant pressure zone of constant direction.